Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Special Edition - Few horror films can match the unflinching, sadistic force of this low-budget 1974 triumph. Italian Job Gift Set - Two takes on this heist story differ entirely, as do their DVD treatments.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Special Edition – Few horror films can match the unflinching, sadistic force of this low-budget 1974 triumph. Shot on 16-milimeter film in sweltering Austin, Texas, the tension is underscored by an eerie score of synthesized noise (remember that detail when New Line’s remake comes out). The DVD version adds surround sound, a cleaner picture (but thankfully not too clean) and wry insight. Director Tobe Hooper, for example, insists he was making a comedy.

Italian Job Gift Set – Two takes on this heist story differ entirely, as do their DVD treatments. The G-rated ’69 edition’s robust bonus material recalls the swinging London era when it played best. Last summer’s update is a cold exercise in blockbuster button-pushing, with a coolly no-nonsense disc to match.